Sir Geoffrey Cox has been re-elected to serve the Torridge and Tavistock constituency once again, albeit with a much-reduced share of the vote.

The Conservative who has represented the constituency for the past 19 years will now serve another term.

The result was declared this morning, Friday, after a long night when the Tory party were all but annihilated at the polls nationwide.

Sir Geoffrey took the seat with 16,049 votes, ahead of Lib Dem Phil Hutty with 12,099, Labour’s Isabel Saxby with 10,765 and Reform UK’s Andrew Jackson with 9,152. Green Judy Maciejowska polled 2,350 and Independent Alan Rayner, 405.

Turnout was 68.24 per cent.

Sir Geoffrey said his party would have to reflect after a crushing night in which the Tories tumbled and Labour swept to power.

He thanked his fellow candidates, which included some new to the political scene, and the organisers of the county at the Atlantic Racquet Centre in Bideford, saying it was ‘a privilege’ to be allowed to serve the “remarkable” constituents of Torridge and Tavistock again.

He said: ‘I am privileged to elected for the sixth time to serve this constituency or at least for the constituency covering the same area.

“This is a moment when my party needs and will have to reflect on why the verdict of the British people has been so severe. I think those who have lived through the past four and a half years will be already able to draw some conclusions but I think the time has come for us to wish the new government well. It is important that it does succeed and in entering in to opposition as we in the Conservative Party will do, I hope we will do it in a constructive way, opposing not simply for the sake of opposing, but where it is in the national interest.”

Back in 2019, Sir Geoffrey took the Torridge and West Devon constituency with 35,904 votes, a share of the vote of just over 60 per cent.